Giveaway: Brush With Bamboo Sustainable Toothbrush 4-Pack

Beautiful bamboo toothbrushes with natural bristles have a long history in China, but the bristle versions popular today didn't come into use until 1938, three years after Dupont introduced nylon. All the plastic toothbrushes created since then still exist. That's a lot of fossil fuels, and a lot of nonbiodegradable waste in landfills- in the US, some 50 million pounds of toothbrushes are tossed each year. It doesn't help that toothbrushes are one of the most complicated items to recycle, because they consist of so many different components: bristles, the material holding the bristles in place (usually a metal staple), and a plastic / rubber handle. You can't just drop them off at your local recycling facility without separating the components, shredding the plastic parts, and cleaning them yourself. Not to mention, weathered thermoplastics actually hold bacteria and are impossible to disinfect. Basically, plastic toothbrushes are like UberPool passengers that don't stop talking and then, at the end of the ride, try to keep in touch, forever.

An easy way to ghost harmful plastics is by switching to a bamboo toothbrush, which was one of the first things I did when I went zero waste. For five years now, the only toothbrush I've used is Brush with Bamboo. Not only is bamboo antimicrobial and biodegradable, but these toothbrushes are made from organic, wild mountain bamboo watered only by rain. The bristles are plant based- 62% castor bean oil, 38% plastic- and can be recycled. Brush with Bamboo packaging is compostable- the wrapper can be composted in a city or industrial facility, and the cardboard box folds together like origami without the use of tape or glue. They also ship plastic free, using recycled materials and paper tape. 

One of the things I like best about zero waste is how beautiful everything is- high quality, durable materials infuse even the quotidian with allure. It's kind of a thrill to open my bag and whip out a bamboo travel case with a pretty toothbrush inside. Not only do people always ask where I got it, but these toothbrushes work- my dentist is really happy, and even though I don't floss (I brush in between my teeth with siwak or a neem stick, or I floss with swiss chard when it's in season... when Package Free Shop opens, I'm buying refillable, biodegradable mulberry silk Dental Lace floss in glass), I'm the only one in my family to never have a cavity. They last just as long as their plastic counterparts, too, I just store mine upright away from the shower. Efficacy and ecofriendliness aside, buying Brush with Bamboo reduces fossil fuel usage and is a non-toxic, long lasting product that's a joy to use. Plus it's a great family company to support- the founders turned their home into a model of sustainable living, producing over 5000 pounds of natural organic food per year while educating the community about ecology and urban agriculture.

This week, Brush with Bamboo is giving away a 4-pack of bamboo toothbrushes to six winners- to enter, just leave a comment below! This giveaway is only open to US readers only, and winners can choose whether they would like a 4-pack of adult toothbrushes, kids' toothbrushes, or half and half. Giveaway ends Sunday, April 23, at noon. Six winners will be chosen at random and contacted privately. Please leave your email or subscribe to comments (or send me your email at ariana at paris-to-go dot com, you can also use the contact form above) so I can contact you. And if you can't enter the giveaway, Brush with Bamboo is offering a special 15% coupon off any order- simply enter the code "paristogo" at checkout, and be sure to follow Brush with Bamboo on Instagram for updates! (Photo above is representative of my dental routine only and includes items not part of the giveaway, in retrospect I should have planned that better)